Global Deans Council
By Professor John Beynon
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Prof John Beynon had been invited to join the Executive of the newly formed Global Deans Executive Council (GEDC), a concept initiated by the, International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES). He was there representing Australia, New Zealand and Oceania.
The purpose of the GEDC is to be an international forum to discuss the varied challenges and opportunities faced by engineering colleges around the world and to network and forge collaborations among the colleges. The first meeting was held over two days in Paris in May, hosted by Dassault Systems and Hewlett Packard. Day 1 was held in the Aero Club de France (where the group photo was taken) and day 2 in the Maison des Arts et Matiers, the alumni home for France's oldest Engineering school, formed in pre-revolutionary France.
The formal outcomes of the meeting were a description of the purpose of GEDC, a list of tasks to be undertaken, a set of bylaws, and a "Paris Declaration signed by all those present, committing people to working for the benefit of GEDC. The informal outcomes were networking and contacts made with Deans from across the world.
Actions to be tackled by GEDC include student and staff exchanges, sharing of best practices, and a conference in 2010. There are estimated to be at least 2000 Engineering Deans across the globe who could join GEDC. Time will tell how many do!